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Posted February 3, 2012 02:31 am - Updated February 3, 2012 10:44 am

Red Raiders basketball midseason report

Red Raiders

Red Raiders

When Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie prepared to begin his first season in Lubbock with 10 new players, including seven freshmen, he knew he was facing an uphill battle. Through the first half of the season, predictable growing pains have been a part of the process during the Red Raiders’ 0-9 start to Big 12 play.

A group of young players has been plagued by self-inflicted mistakes, and with a small margin for error due to a lack of size, athleticism and experience, so far those miscues have been too much to overcome.

Finishing the year in the league cellar is a near certainty, but if Tech hopes to earn its way into the win column and avoid the fate of becoming the third team to go winless during conference play in the Big 12 era, it must find a way to limit its miscues — and fast.

Biggest improvement: Jaye Crockett

Crockett struggled to find rhythm during the non-conference season due, in part, to injuries, but the sophomore forward has been a different player during the Big 12 portion of the schedule.

Through nine games, Crockett is averaging 11.1 points and seven rebounds, both team highs. He has posted a double-double in each of Tech’s last two games, and he has only failed to reach double figures in scoring twice during Big 12 action.

Crockett must still make strides to be more consistent on the defensive end, but with two years of eligibility remaining, the 6-foot-7 forward could prove to be an integral part of Tech’s rebuilding efforts going forward.

Biggest disappointment:Repeated mistakes

Hidden in the bottom line of nine straight losses has been a series of major improvements made by the Red Raiders. Players have more familiarity on offense, the overall toughness level has increased and the team’s effort has rarely waned.

But Tech is still as crippled by turnovers — it ranks 333rd out of 338 teams at 17.6 per game — at the beginning of February as it was at the start of the season in November.

The deck is stacked against the Red Raiders in each game, but they can improve their odds by diminishing the ballooning turnovers.